Desktop shortcut keeps on moving after updates

[JoseHidalgo]

Hi everybody.

I have Windows 11, and I update Audacity with UniGetUi (WinGet / Chocolatey / etc).
I have an Audacity shortcut on my desktop for ease of use.

After every new update, my Audacity shortcut moves from its usual location to the top-left corner of my desktop. Which is annoying and unnecessary, because I have to move it back every time.

Could Audacity installer check if there’s already a shortcut on the desktop, and if yes, just DON’T TOUCH IT?

Thanks in advance!

[DVDdoug]

That’s Windows.

I think Audacity is creating a new icon (or replacing the old one) when you update and Windows decides where to put it.

I don’t remember if it asks “Create Desktop Icon?” but if it does and you say “no”, the old one will probably still work.

…I have folders on my desktop for “Audio”, “Office”, etc., as well as a few direct shortcuts. It’s very uncluttered. When I update Audacity I drag the icon into the Audio folder and overwrite the old one. In these folders the shortcuts a shown as a list in alphabetical order.

[JoseHidalgo]

Hi DVDdoug. Unfortunately it’s not that simple.

Of course, Audacity is creating a new shortcut, and Windows decides where to put it. I’m not questioning that part.

But that’s precisely why the Audacity installer should check FIRST if there’s already an existing shortcut on the desktop, and if that’s the case, NOT CREATE A NEW ONE. It should be as simple as adding an “IF… THEN” condition in the installer process.

Also, like I said I’m using UniGetUI to manage all my updates. Which means the update process of all my apps is fully automated (how can people even survive without that ? I would never go back ). So AFAIK I can’t interfere in the installer process and answer any hypothetical questions, sorry.

Other apps have installers that don’t mess with desktop shortcuts (I have just tested), so I’m very confident that the Audacity team can brilliantly pull this off very quickly.

PS : for the record, I have tagged this as a bug because IMHO it’s the closest thing. It’s a design flaw if you prefer: when somebody has already a desktop shortcut that’s perfectly placed, moving such shortcut to another place without the user asking for it and with every new update is unwanted behaviour to say the least. Thanks again!

[JoseHidalgo]

Just bumping this topic. I’d appreciate if someone from the Audacity team would at least read this and take it into consideration to correct this “installation bug” (sort of). It’s nothing to do, really, and it would make the lives of many Audacity users easier. Thank you!